Probate fees across Canada: how nine provinces compare
Probate is the court process that confirms who can deal with a person's estate, and the government charges a fee for it. How that fee is set differs so much from province to province that the same estate can cost nothing or several thousand dollars.
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Which province has the highest probate fees?
On a $1,000,000 estate, among the nine we could confirm from official pages, Nova Scotia charges the most at $16,257.65, then Ontario at $14,250 and British Columbia at $13,650. Alberta caps its fee at $525, and Manitoba has had no value-based fee since November 2020.
The same estate in nine places
These are the government fees only, for estates of four sizes, using each province's schedule as published. The provinces measure the value of an estate differently, so treat the table as a guide to the shape of each system, not an exact comparison.
| Province | $100,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | $1,050 | $3,150 | $6,650 | $13,650 |
| Alberta | $275 | $400 | $525 | $525 |
| Saskatchewan | $900 | $1,950 | $3,700 | $7,200 |
| Manitoba | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Ontario | $750 | $3,000 | $6,750 | $14,250 |
| Nova Scotia | $1,002.65 | $3,545.15 | $7,782.65 | $16,257.65 |
| Prince Edward Island | $400 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $4,000 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $654 | $1,554 | $3,054 | $6,054 |
| Nunavut | $215 | $325 | $425 | $425 |
Use the probate fee calculator for your own figure.
Three kinds of system
Alberta and Nunavut use flat fees by value band, so the cost stops rising: Alberta's top fee is $525. Ontario, British Columbia and Saskatchewan charge a rate per $1,000 with no ceiling, which is why they climb steeply. Manitoba abolished its value-based charge in November 2020. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador sit in between, with low tiers and a modest rate above them.
What counts as the estate
Ontario's estate administration tax leaves out real estate outside Ontario, jointly owned assets that pass to the survivor, and registered plans with a named beneficiary, and it does not allow debts or funeral costs to be deducted. Alberta uses the net value of Alberta property. British Columbia uses gross value, and counts intangible property wherever it is if the person lived in British Columbia. These differences matter more than the rate.
For the Ontario figure alone, see the estate administration tax calculator.
What is not covered
New Brunswick changed its schedule on June 12, 2026, and Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Quebec could not be confirmed from an official page, so they are not in the table. Legal, executor and accounting costs are separate from the government fee and often larger.